In the context of data storage, the term “backup” refers to making copies of data such that the additional copies may be used to restore original data after a data loss event. These additional copies are typically called “backups.” Backups are useful for various purposes. For example, the backups may be used to restore a state following a disaster (i.e. disaster recovery). Additionally, the backups may be used to restore small numbers of files after the files have been accidentally deleted or corrupted.
To date, data recovery utilizing backups has been limited to accessing backup data corresponding to a single backup path. For example, backing up data recovered using a particular backup may render other backup data not associated with the particular backup useless. By electing to recover data from a particular backup, any other backup data associated with a different backup operation will be rendered useless, as a backup path has already been selected for recovery. Thus, when more than one backup path has been created, backup data may only be recovered from one of the backup paths. This limits the recovery options available once a particular backup is utilized.
There is thus a need for addressing these and/or other issues associated with the prior art.